CS 624/724 FORMAL SPECIFICATION OF SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
                                            SYLLABUS
                                           FALL  2001
                         http://www.cis.uab.edu/info/dept/courses/cs624


        Time:         8:00 - 10:30 A.M. Wednesday

        Classroom:    Campbell Hall, Room 430

        Instructor:   Barrett Bryant (bryant@cis.uab.edu)

        Office:       Campbell Hall, Room 127

        Textbook:     J. Fitzgerald and P. G. Larsen, Modelling Systems: Practical Tools
                      and  Techniques  in  Software  Development,  Cambridge  University
                      Press, 1998.

        References:   V. S. Alagar and K. Periyasamy, Specification of Software Systems,
                      Springer-Verlag, 1998.

                      T. Quatrani, Visual Modeling with  Rational  Rose  2000  and  UML,
                      Addison-Wesley, 2000.

        Time Table:   Topic                                     Chapter        Lecture
                      -----                                     -------        -------

                      Introduction                                 1           1
                      Constructing a Model                         2           2
                      Unified Modelling Language (UML)                         3
                      VDM Toolkit                                  3           4
                      Describing System Properties                 4           5
                          Using Logical Expressions
                      Elements of a Formal Model                   5           6
                      Sets                                         6           7
                      Sequences                                    7           8
                      Mappings                                     8           9
                      Validating Models                            9           11
                      State-Based Modelling                        10          12
                      Large-Scale Modelling                        11          13
                      VDM for Real-Time Systems                                14-15
                      Advanced Topics                                          16

        The Midterm Examination will be on Wednesday, October 24.  The Final Examination
        is  on  Wednesday, December 12, at 8:00 A. M.  Besides exams, there will also be
        several specification and design  exercises  which  will  emphasize  the  theory
        covered  by  the  lectures  and text. Some of these exercises will build on each
        other in the form of a complete design of a software system.

        Grading:      Midterm Examination                1/3
                      Final Examination                  1/3
                      Exercises                          1/3